Saint Lucia
Virgin and Martyr

Feast – December 13

Lucy, patron of Sicily, and one of the saints of the Canon of the Mass, was martyred at Syracuse in the persecution of Diocletian about the year 304. The legend of her martyrdom says that she was denounced as a Christian by a rejected suitor. Refusing to apostatize, she was condemned to a brothel, but a mysterious force prevented the persecutors from moving her from the tribunal. After an unsuccessful attempt had been made to burn her to death, her neck was pierced with a dagger.

Prayer in Honor of St. Lucy

O God, our Creator and Redeemer, Mercifully hear our prayers that a we venerate Thy servant, St. Lucy, for the light of faith Thou didst bestow upon her, Thou wouldst vouchsafe to increase and to preserve this same light in our souls, that we may be able to avoid evil, to do good and to abhor nothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of evil and of sin.

Relying on Thy goodness, O God, we humbly ask Thee, by the intercession of Thy servant, St. Lucy that Thou wouldst give perfect vision to our eyes, that they may serve for Thy greater honor and glory, and for the salvation of our souls in this world, that we may come to the enjoyment of the unfailing light of the Lamb of God in paradise.

St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear our prayer and obtain our petitions.

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Dad has Scandinavian and Italian blood but we celebrate this glorious feast day because we are Catholic and seek the intercession of  our beloved St. Lucia.  We seek her intercession in a special way this year.  SANTA LUCIA, ORA PRO NOBIS.

One of the most enjoyable ways to teach our children the richness of the Catholic Faith and to keep them close to the Holy Mother Church is to fill their lives with the sacred and the beautiful.  When they are immersed in the reverence and silence of the Traditional Latin Mass, when they grow accustomed to the rhythm and rituals of following and celebrating the feast days, both at Church and at home, these traditions become such an integral part of them that the thought of not being Catholic will seem empty and meaningless.

Sparkles and Sweetie decided to spear head our Santa Lucia feast day.  The scoured their recipes in search of a new twist.  Our simple celebration started the night before since I’m on bed-rest and there is no telling what will come at any given moment.  The girls prepped their treats with some help from Star Boys, Papi and Dragonfly.

The girls woke us up by candlelight and led us downstairs to a beautiful spread.  Dad played “Santa Lucia” (click to hear) as we processed.

PRAYER TO ST. LUCY, PATRON OF THE EYES

We present ourselves before thee, O virgin Martyr, beseeching thee to obtain for us that we may recognize in His lowliness that same Jesus Whom thou now seest in His glory. Take us under thy powerful patronage. Thy name signifies light; guide us through the dark night of this life. O fair light of virginity! enlighten us; evil concupiscence has wounded our eyes: pray for us, O thou bright light of virginity! that our blindness be healed, and that rising above created things, we may be able to see that true light, which shineth in darkness, but which darkness cannot comprehend. Pray for us, that our eye may be purified, and may see, in the Child who is to be born at Bethlehem, the new Man, the second Adam, the model on Which the life of our regeneration must be formed. Pray too, O holy virgin, for the Church of Rome and for all those which adopt her form of the holy Sacrifice; for they daily pronounce at the altar of God thy sweet name; and the Lamb, Who is present, loves to hear it. Heap thy choicest blessings on the fair Isle, which was thy native land, and where grew the palm of thy Martyrdom. May thy intercession secure to her inhabitants firmness of faith, purity of morals, and temporal prosperity, and deliver them from the disorders which threaten her with destruction.

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Resources:

• Saint Lucia song in Swedish, “Sankta Lucia”
• Book on Audio – Lucia, Saint of Light – Ancient Faith Radio
• St. Lucia Crown Tutorial – JOYfilledfamily
• Saint Lucy Coloring Page – Catholic Playground
• St. Lucia & Star Boy Coloring Page – Waltzing Matilda
• St. Lucia Paper Doll COLOR – Lily & Thistle
• St. Lucy Paper Doll B&W – Paper Dali
• Printable St. Lucia Holy Cards
• St. Lucia Wordsearch
• Santa Lucia Peg Dolls – Posie Gets Cozy
• Paper St. Lucia Crown
• St. Lucia Crown or Centerpiece – Nest Full of Eggs
• St. Lucia Card Printable
• Santa Lucia Treats – Catholic Cuisine
• Previous years’ celebrations – JOYfilledfamily

• Latin Mass Propers Online – Full Latin, PDF Format – MaternalHeart.Org: Dec. 13 – St Lucy, Virgin and Martyr: Missa ‘Dilexisti’ with Commemoration of the 2nd Sunday of Advent

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Today our parish also celebrated with a  Solemn Rorate Mass.  The Rorate Mass is a special votive mass for Our Lady during Advent, traditionally celebrated by candlelight in the early morning.  As the Mass ends the sky is just starting to glow with the new day and we journey from darkness to light and the coming of the Word Made Flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mother is upon us.

The piece is “Gabriel’s Message,” a traditional Basque Advent carol, sung by the Choir and Choristers of St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish on the album “The Little Road to Bethlehem.”

This video was created by a talented parishioner, Jennifer Rego.